Electric switch and signal apparatus.



- PATENTED FEB.- 27

.L. GRIFFITH. ELECTRIC SWITCH AND SIGNAL APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED NOV 5 1904 understood, I shall first describe in detail the UNITED Parisian ELgcTRlc awn-ca ans: arenas neesanvn's.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1908.

Application fil d November 5,1904, Serialfio. 231.615.

To aZZ whom it may concern,- Be it known that I, LAWRENCE Gnrrrrrn, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city of Yonkers, county of Westchcster, and State-f New York, have invented certain new ad useful Improvements in Electric Switch and Signal Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying draw mg. A

My invention relates to apparatus for 0 crating railway switches, signals, and t e like by means of electricity, andcomprises, among other features, a ste -by-step movement of two or more such rai way-trafiic-controlling devices, and means for preventing the action of the indicator when there is current on the circuit of the electric unit which operates the traffic-controlling device.

Reference may be made to United States Letters Patent No. 776,238, granted to me November 29, 1904, and to my pending application, Serial No; 151,578, filed April 8, 1903.

In order that my invention may be clearly manner in which I carry the same into practice and then point out the novel features of the invention in the claims, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, forming part of the specification.

The drawing isa diagrammatic view of the invention as applied to a crossover or two pairs of switch-points.

p A A are the main rails; 13 B, the siding; C C, the switch-points operatively connected with the main rails'A A, and D D the switch-points jogplegratively connected I with the siding-rails c is a motion-plate for operating switchpoints 0 C in the usual manner, and (Z a motion-plate for operating switch-points D D.

Upon movement of the operators bar-or lever SOuntil roller 31 meets the right-hand. abutment of horizontal portion 32 of slot 33 '32 34, bridge 35 will be moved into contact between contact-springs 36 and 37 and mo- I Lion-plate 0 will be moved to operate switch- [limits C C, as follows: wire 1, relay 38, wire :QeGQntact-springs .36 and 37, bridge 35, wire 3,:obntact-springs 39 and 40, bridge 41, wire 4, held 5 of motor'X, and therethrough by wire 6 to battery. Motor X being thereby energized, switch or controller M will be a, so as to break. connectionupon the final movement of the motor between contactsprings 39 and40, connection having been made between contact-springs 12 and 43 by bridge 44 and connection broken between contact-springs 4:5 and 46 by bridge 47 and. connection made between contact-springs 48 and 49 by bridge 56. lit the same time contact will be made by bridge 47 between contact-s rings 51 and and contact will have been roken between contact-springs 53 and 54. The switch-points C C and motion-plate 0 having been moved to their fullest extent, motor X has been cut out of circuit by bridge 41 moving from between contact-springs and 39, and the energy from the battery or other source of electric energy 100 now energizes motorY as follows :Wire 1, relay 38,wire

2, contact-springs 36 and 37, bridge 35, wire 3,

contact-springs 51 and 52, bridge 47, wire 7, contact-springs 55 and 56, bridge 57, wire 8, field 5 of motor Y, and thus by wire 6 to battery, so that motor Y will be energized to move motion-plate cl, with its switcl1-points D D, and with it switch or controller N, so as to break connection between contact-springs 55 and 56and make connection between contact-springs 58 and 59 by bridge 60 and at the same time break connection between contact-springs 61 and 62 by bridge 63 and make connection between contact-springs 64 and 66 by said bridge 63. Energy from the source 100 will now energize solenoid or electric unit 67 as follows: wires 1 9 10 11, solenoid 67, wire 12, contact-springs 68 and 69, bridge 70, wire 13, contacbsprings 66 and 64, bridge 63, wire 14, contact-springs 48, and 49, bridge 50, wires 6 and 6, to battery. Solenoid 67 bein thus energized, itsjarmaturewill operate ro her 31 in inclined portion 34 of slot 3332 34, and thereby break connection between contact-springs 68 and 69 bridge 70 andmalge connection by said bridge 70 between. contact springs 71 and 72. It will of course be understood that'stops73 and 74 operate to move said bridge 70 during w tion only of the stroke of rod 75, which rod 7 5 is attached to bar 30 and moves with it, carrying also bridge 35 and bridge 7 6, whose functions with contact-springs, 77 and 7 8 and 79 and 80 will be hereinafter described. Said relay 33 when energized as above described is adapted to break electrical connection of the solenoid 67 by breaking connect on between 55 moved in correspondence with motion-plate 1 wires 10 and 11. Said relay 38 15 provided lower windin s sufliciont to cause the blowin 23 b moved while the apparatus is in the position .will be immediately or batter use? With windings connected both with wires 1 l and 2 and. with windings connected with wires 28 and 29, such windings being in parallel with each other and in series with one or the other of the motors. It will be understoodthat the winding connected with wires 1 28 and 29 normally aid the winding conncct- I ed with wires 1 and Said relay 38 is therc- I fore energizedwhenever current is on the cir- I cuit of either of said motors X orY. The winding of the relay 33, connected with the wires 28 and 29, is of higher resistance than that connected with the wires 1 and 2, and therefore should an abnormally large current be sent through the circuit containing the out of fuse Z the relay 38 would still act, being energized by the windings connected with wires 28 and 29 to hold open the circuit of so lenoid 67 by breaking connection between Wires 10 and 11. Should there be a cross or accidental current on the circuit of motor .X when the apparatus is in the position: shown in the drawing, the same will be shunted away from said motor back to battery as follows: wire 3, contact-springs '77 and 78, bridge 76, and wire 6. Should the switchpoints C C, and therefore motion-plate c, be

shown in Fig. 1, connection will be immediately made between contact-springs 4-2 and 43 by bridge 44 and motor X energized to replace said switch-points and motion-plate as ollows: Wire 1, relay 38, wire 2, contactsprings and 91, bridge 35, wire 18, contactsprings 42 and 43, bridge 44, wire 19, field 20 of motor X and therethrough and by wire 6 to battery. Should there be across or accidental current on the circuit of motor Y while the apparatus is in the position shown in Fig. 1, the same will return to battery before motion-plate d nioves to operate switchpoints D D as follows: wire 7, contactsprings 92 and 93, bridge 94, wires 26 and 3, contactsprin s 77 and 78, bridge 76, and wire 6. Should switch-points D D, and therefore motion-plate (Z, be moved while the apparatus is in the position shown in Fig. 1, connection made between contactgprings 96 and 97 by bridge and the motor energized to rep ace said switch-points D D and motion-plate (Z as follows: wire 1, re lay 38, wire 2, contact-springs 90 and 91, bridge 35,-wires 18 and 24, contact-springs 97 and 96, bridge 95, wire 25, contact-springs 59 and 58, bridge'GO, wire 22, field 20 of motor- Y, and therethrough and by wire 6 to ground In going from reverse position to norma like circuits are made and the same results accomplished, it being understood that on the reverse movement and position contact-springs -'71 and 72 are the counterparts of contact-springs ('8 and 69, contactsprings 37 and 36 the counterparts of contact-springs 91 and 90, contact-springs 79 l e1 aces and 80 the counterparts of contact-springs 77 and. 78, and so on.

V is a fuse, and W a cutout box for breaking the circuit in the usual way.

Should the circuit of solenoid 38 be accidentally returned to battery while the apparatus is in the position shown in the drawin connection being made between contactsprings 68 and 69 by bridge 70, said solenoid will be energized and the apparatus will be held against movement the pushing up of roller 31 in slot Of course i do not limit myself to either a series or a parallel electrical connection nor to return to battery by metallic circuit as distinguished from grounding.

l hat .l claim, and desire to secure by Lettors Patent, is

' 1. In electric apparatus for operating switches, signals, and the like comprising an electric indicator and a plurality of electrically-operated motion-plates or devices to be moved, means for preventing the action of the indicator while there is electric energy supplied to the operative means of any of said motion-plates.

2. In electric apparatus for operating switches, signals and. the like having a plurality oi e]cctrically-operated motion-plates or devices to be moved, means for shunting current away from one or more of the operative means of said motion-plates when the apparatus is at normal 'or reverse positions.

3. In electric apparatus for operating switches, signals and the like having a plurality ofelec'trically-operated motion-plates or devices to be moved, the combination of an electric indicator, means for shunting current away from one or more of the operative means of said motion-plates, with means for preventing the action of the indicator While there is electric energy supplied to any of the operative means of said motion-plates.

4. In electric apparatus for operating switches, signals and the like having aplurality of electrically-governed motion-plates or devices to be moved, means for shunting current away from one or more of the governing devices of said motion-plates when the apparatus is at normal or reverse position.

5. in electric apparatus switches, signals, and the like, comprising an lectric indicator and a motion-plate or devicet'o be moved electrically operated in two directions, electric means separate from the indicator for preventing the action of the indicator While there is electric energy supplied to the operative means of said motion-plate.

6. In electric apparatus for operating switches, signals, and the like, comprising an electric indicator and a motion-plate or de vice to be moved electrically operated in two directions, means for preventing the action of the indicator While there is electric energy by the operator by' for operating 7 7. In electric apparatus for operating switches, signals, and the like, having a mo- Lion-plate or cleviceto be moved electrically operated in two directions, means for shuntcurrent away fromthe operative means of said motion-plate when the apparatus is at normal or reverse position.

8. In electric apparatus for operating switches, signals, and the like, having an electrically-operated motion-plate or device to be moved, the combination of an electric indicator, means for shunting current away from the operative means of said motionplate, with means for preventing action of the indicator while there is electric energy sunlied to the o era-tive means of said mo- A tion-plate.

9. In electric; apparatus for operating switches, signals; and the like, 'having an electrically-operated motion-plate or device to be moved, the combination of an operators switch for said apparatus having contacts forshunting current on the circuit of the operative means of said motion-plate when the apparatus is at normal or reverse position back to battery, with a fuse or cutout device in said operative circuit/ In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of November, .1904.

LAW. GRIFFITI-L' In presence of I FRANCIS L. FIELD,

J. F. BOUDREAU. 

